I love trying fun new ways to decorate for every season, and in winter there are so many options for the holidays and also because you are indoors more during the cooler months. I don't know about you, but being inside more puts my focus on how my home is looking. I start to notice the curtains that no longer look so good or the boring tabletop arrangement, or that I really should water my plants more regularly! Today, I want to show you a really fun and clever little craft idea for your holiday decor that will take you maybe 10 minutes or less!

My friend shown above.

This idea can be found in the Scandinavian-inspired decorating story in, , and it can be made with cupcake cases or small candy cases in any color or pattern. To keep it very simple, we went with white. You can use white ones and paint the rims in metallic gold if you like, or inside of each case, place a colored dot, or a circular photo of a family member (like your kids). I like - they'd be perfect for this project if you want a more traditional, festive look in red and white.

Here are a few simple instructions on how to make this easy little tree for your wall.

DIY CUPCAKE CASES WALL DECORATION

Tools: You will need approximately 34 cupcake cases, double-sided tape, 1 long dark string, washi tape for the star.

STEP ONE: Start with the top case and stick to the wall using double-sided tape. Drop a dark string below it using a piece of tape to use as a guide to keep your rows straight as you work. Cupcake cases should go on each side of the string, for instance.

STEP TWO: Beneath the single top case, you should begin to create rows using double-sided tape, cases and space them evenly from one to the next. I started by using the string in the center and put cupcake cases to the left and then to the right, of the string, to keep them neat and even.

STEP THREE: Once all of your cases are in place, remove the string you'd used as a guide. Now add your tree base using 3 cases.

STEP FOUR: Finish with a washi tape star. Cut 4 strips of equal length and hang from the side of the table. Directly above the top case, place the first strip of tape. You will be making a cross shape. Next, place another piece of tape over the first one to create a cross. Next, tape your 3rd piece of tape and place it on a diagonal to create an "X" on top of the cross shape along with the final piece of tape. Now you have your star.

, Available in English, German, French and Italian and available where all fine books are sold.

Decorate For a Party is available in , and and of course in and also . It also available in Australia via and .

If you have a small space or simply want to decorate a tabletop in a new way, then this non-traditional Christmas tree just may be your new favorite DIY project. Not only is it super cute, but I have the DIY "recipe" for you below along with very good news -- it's super cheap to make and looks lovely!

This tree is just so sweet and I like it because my dear friend Leslie Shewring made it for the Scandinavian-inspired decorating story in our book, , and it can be made with paper in any color, or even a monochromatic theme with the same color or use many colors and turn it into a rainbow tree! You can decorate it as you wish too, perhaps with white twinkle lights, colored lights, ornaments or anything else that catches your eye. You can even make several smaller versions in green and craft a woodland-theme party for a child's birthday - trees are not only for Christmas. Make it your own!

Here are a few simple instructions on how to make this paper fringe tree. This DIY can be found directly in our book in the holiday craft party section, complete with our playlist of songs to put you in a mood that is merry and bright!

ROW ONE (left to right)

STEP TWO: Start about 5cm (2 inches) from the bottom of the tree and cut approximately a 5cm (2 inches) wide strip of white paper to a length just wider than the width of the tree.

STEP THREE: Glue the top edge of the strip of white paper to the cardboard and then trim the width to the angle of the cardboard.

ROW TWO (left to right)

STEP FOUR: Create a fringe along the bottom edge of the white strip of paper you just glued down. Make the cuts about a 1cm (1/2 inch) apart.

STEP FIVE: Repeat with more white strips, making sure to overlap each one over the previous one.

STEP SIX: Finish by adding a black strip of paper to cover the exposed 5cm/2 inches of cardboard along the bottom of the triangle. Use black tape to wrap around the sides of this base, or just wrap the black paper around.

, Available in English, German, French and Italian and available where all fine books are sold.

I love Holly and Leslie’s new book. Page by page with new and chic party ideas, all using inexpensive materials. Happy party everyone!

— Paul Lowe, Founder, SWEET PAUL magazine

Decorate For a Party is available in , and and of course in and also . It also available in Australia via and .

See you again tomorrow everyone with a little decorating project from my home to share.

Would you like to learn how to make lovely stamped napkins for your holiday table this season? Well first, hi everyone and a very Happy Friday to you! Today is the 1 Advent and whether you celebrate the holidays or not, no doubt you will entertain this month in some way.

These patterns are very holiday-neutral I guess you can say, yet if you tie them up with pine or something Christmas-y, they instantly look very much in the Christmas spirit. I love these napkins because Leslie made them for our book, , and they can be used for all types of parties, year round.

Imagine stamping them in different colors for a playful birthday party, in pastels for a kids' party, or in white against deep blue linens for a more boho look? The great thing about crafting and making by hand is that the sky is the limit - your creativity can take you where you'd like to go.

Putting together a party can be overwhelming, especially when you have no idea where to start. Decorate for a Party breaks it down both logistically and visually and helps you decipher your party style. Whether planning a big bash or an intimate gathering, it’s an essential to have on hand for all your upcoming festivities.

— Joy Cho, OH JOY!

Here are a few simple instructions on how to make each napkin that you see above. This DIY can be found directly in our book in the holiday craft party section, complete with our playlist of songs to put you in a mood that is merry and bright!

White Napkins 6 Ways:

ROW ONE (left to right)

1. SINGLE TRIANGLES - We used sticky-backed foam sheets from the craft store for our stamps. Simply cut out your desired shape, then peel back the covering and stick it to another piece of foam that is slightly larger than your stamp shape. We started with a triangle in a random pattern. (Note: You can also stick the foam to wooden blocks or use a potato to cut your shape, but we found the foam worked best for this project.)

2. SQUARES - This is a quick design to execute. Use a small square cut from the foam sheet and repeat.

3. STARS - A soft matte fabric paint is used to create these designs as the paint washes nicely and has a softer feel. Be careful not to use the harder dimensional fabric paints. A star is cut from the foam and repeated. We used a square-edged paintbrush to touch up in a few places.

ROW TWO (left to right)

4. BARS - Create this fun linear design by placing four foam strips together on one stamp.

5. SPOTS - For this design, we’ve used a round sponge stamp from the craft store.

6. DOUBLE TRIANGLES - We created two stamps and each had two different triangle foam shapes. Don’t be afraid to touch up your design with a small square-edged paintbrush to sharpen some of the edges of the design when necessary.

NOTE: For some of these patterns, you can make them more holiday-themed by altering the designs just a little bit. For instance, the triangles could be stacked to look like Christmas trees by stacking 3 on top of each other from example 1. The spots, example 5, could be stacked in threes to form a snowman. You can also mix and match prints. The bars and spots together could be created to read Ho Ho Ho.

, Available in English, German, French and Italian and available where all fine books are sold.

Decorate For a Party is available in , and and of course in and also . It also available in Australia via and .

Have a lovely weekend everyone, I wish you a wonderful start to December!

Hello everyone and happy September! I hope you all had a wonderful summer full of lots of fun memories. Every year my husbands family has a huge baking weekend to make Christmas cookies, (which isn’t until December obviously), but we have started to make our own vanilla sugar months in advance to ensure it is well infused for our favorite vanilla crescent cookies. (My husbands family background is Czech so I am sure there are a few of your out there who make over the holidays!).

So it is time, and we have made a big batch of vanilla sugar for the holidays. We also whipped up a batch of chai infused sugar and lavender sugar to add to our favorite baked goods over the coming months. They make for wonderful DIY gifts if that is your thing. Those foodies in your life are sure to appreciative!

Each recipe makes a cup of sugar, and you can either make a big batch now and store it for a couple of months then divide into little jars for gifts closer to the gift giving season. Or add straight into the jars you intend to give. (Which ever you have space for storing I guess!). Any of the recipes can be divided up once the flavors have been added. If you intend to split up the vanilla sugar, just divide the bean up into 3 parts and add the seeds and pod to the sugar. I would stick to 3 small jars for each bean so as to get maximum infusion!

You can totally eat the lavender buds, but I would remove the chai spices before adding the sugar to any treats. I like to keep the chai spices mostly whole so they are easy to remove before using. You can however use a mortar and pestle to break the spices up if you wish. Time to start collecting jars!

Directions: Chai Sugar
Gently crush or break the cinnamon stick into half. Add the cinnamon pieces, cloves, cardamom pods, star anise and ginger to the sugar. Stir and store in an airtight container for a few weeks. Remove spices before adding to your favorite cookie recipe.

Directions: Lavender Sugar
Add the lavender to the sugar and stir through. Put into an airtight jar and shake. Store for a couple of weeks up to a couple of months. For finer sugar and lavender buds, you can pulse the mixture in a food processor. Add to your favorite cookie recipe for a floral palate.

Vanilla SugarIngredients
1 vanilla bean
1 cup granulated sugar

Directions: Vanilla Sugar
Slice the vanilla bean lengthways and remove the seeds. Stir the seeds through the sugar. Store in an airtight jar with the vanilla pod for a few weeks or until ready to use. For finer sugar, you can pulse the mixture in a food processor. Add to any baking recipe or holiday cookies (or your coffee or tea!).

What’s your favorite infused sugar flavor? -

TIP FROM HOLLY: These also make for great party gifts for your guests to put near each plate on the table with a little tag with the guest's name on it - they can take it home and it serves as a seating card.